Can I Learn Data Visualization For Free?

In today's thriving tech era, abundant free resources make it possible to acquire software skills such as data visualization without any financial investment; however, it is important to be mindful of certain limitations. While free resources are an ideal way to learn beginner skills and answer questions on the fly, they can only take you so far. Developing advanced data visualization skills, especially for a data-focused career, may necessitate comprehensive training with expert mentorship. With that in mind, this article will survey what free resources are available for learning data visualization, give you some tips on how to get the most out of them, and explore the steps that come after you've wrung free tools for all their worth. 

What Free Resources are Available for Learning Data Visualization?

A brief search on Google reveals abundant free resources for learning about data visualization, making it challenging to determine where to begin. You may learn better in one format than another (written content versus video content, for instance), and knowing what’s available can help you choose which tools to use. 

Among the wide array of free resources, online tutorials stand out as one of the most popular options, with availability in various formats. Not only can you access video tutorials on platforms like YouTube, but you can also find detailed written tutorials on blog posts, often accompanied by images for enhanced data visualization guidance.

In addition to tutorials, you can also find a variety of free data visualization seminars and classes that offer a bit more. Reputable design or education companies often publish free sample classes exploring data topics. Tech education platforms sometimes also offer lecture-style seminars exploring adjacent topics such as data analysis, information design, and programming.

Through these same companies, you can access free digital data visualization workbooks. For additional places to find workbooks for free, consider checking out your local university’s website or visiting a public library. While less immediate of a resource, library books offer a wealth of learning materials in a physical format that’ll take up less of your screen space. Popular books for data visualization beginners include "Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction" by Kieran Healy, "Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs That Communicate" by Stephen Few, and "The Functional Art: Essential Design Principles for Data Visualization" by Alberto Cairo.

How to Make Use of Free Data Visualization Resources

It may seem straightforward to utilize free resources in just one way, but in actuality, carefully planning how you use them can enhance your learning and provide an edge over students who passively engage with no specific goal in mind. Here are some effective strategies for optimizing free resources.

Use Them to Learn the Basics 

Although free resources may not be ideal for learning advanced data visualization skills, they offer a great opportunity to grasp foundational concepts like data types and cleaning, which are essential for beginners. Since beginner basics are the most straightforward aspects of data visualization, attending a class may not be necessary, and these topics are commonly covered in free resources.

Use Them to Prepare For a Class 

Suppose you’ve watched a tutorial guiding you through basic data analysis and terminology. In that case, you’ll have a much easier time keeping up with your instructor on the first day of a data class you attend. Falling behind in the early stages of a class can greatly impact your ability to learn later material, making it all the more important to keep up. While also true of shorter classes, this is especially relevant for longer classes such as bootcamps and certificate programs. 

Call On Them For Answers to Niche Questions 

You’ll likely encounter new problems and navigate new features as you explore new data visualization projects. Being able to whip up a free tutorial can save you a lot of trial and error. Additionally, online forums enable you to request advice from other data visualization users online easily. 

Treat Them As Supplementary Study Materials

If you’re learning intermediate to advanced data visualization skills, free resources shouldn’t be your only source of knowledge, but they can still add a lot to your training regimen. For instance, when you’re stumped on a project and don’t have ready access to your instructor, free resources can help you identify solutions to complete your project in time for your class deadline. 

Limitations of Free Resources

As previously stated, free resources can be beneficial in specific scenarios, but a more comprehensive approach is necessary for proper education on data visualization. One significant drawback is the need for interactive elements. Plus, you could wind up with some inaccurate, outdated, or inconsistent information because free resources are relatively unregulated. This learning process necessitates additional external research, which could be circumvented with the presence of an instructor, thus making the learning experience more efficient and effective. Although there are hundreds of free resources, the content may still be fairly limited, so free resources alone cannot lead to data visualization proficiency. 

Additionally, many resources need more customer support. Even blogs, which often have moderators, cannot provide the level of support an instructor could. Some websites have customer support but can also be limited to topics revolving around products rather than data concepts. Overall, free resources don’t (or rather, they can’t) provide a thorough education. This achievement can be attained by successfully finishing a course or Bootcamp that offers greater structure, interaction, and consistency.

What to Do After Utilizing Free Data Visualization Resources

The learning doesn’t have to stop there. You can continue your education through different means, such as classes and bootcamps. Both offer foundational knowledge, hands-on exposure, and practical experience in the data visualization field. Consider your options and preferences before enrolling in the perfect class for you.

Enroll in Live Classes or Bootcamps

After utilizing these free resources, you can learn more complex data visualization concepts. To obtain this, you can explore all the different live training options available in your area or online. Live training options are the most advantageous learning method because they emphasize collaborative learning, hands-on projects, and realistic expectations in the data visualization field. You can explore different specializations and decide what works best for you. Data visualization is an ever-evolving field, so continuing education in any way is helpful. 

Why Choose a Live Class or Bootcamp? 

Live classes like those at Noble Desktop can assist the learning process in many ways. First, they offer interaction, unlike their on-demand counterparts. Students learn alongside one another and can utilize their instructor as a resource for data visualization tips, techniques, and troubleshooting ideas. Through various projects resembling real-world scenarios, you will better understand what you will do daily in your future data job. In addition, many classes and bootcamps promote career readiness, meaning you can receive certificates, work on your professional portfolio, and attend interview preparation sessions. Plus, continual feedback from an instructor or peers can help you grow and feel more comfortable taking risks in your next projects. 

Live Training Benefits 

Live training offers additional benefits and resources that on-demand or self-paced options will not. Many training courses give students access to computer labs, setup assistance, and additional mentoring sessions that help complete projects and gain clarity on the class material. Students can also take advantage of different payment plans and financing options. Plus, many live classes and bootcamps award students with certificates once the lessons have ended, which is beneficial during the job search as it showcases your skills, capabilities, and knowledge. These credentials are suitable for inclusion on LinkedIn profiles and resumes.

Why Live Training Works

Overall, live training classes are considered one of the best ways to learn a new skill because they value flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and career development. They are a good middle ground between using free resources (which are insufficient and lack guidance) and applying for a degree program (which is incredibly expensive and time-consuming). These lessons are based on realistic data visualization situations and emphasize practical use. You can acquire professional-level skills, develop a well-organized and diverse portfolio, feel prepared to attend job interviews, start your career, and apply the skills you’ve learned in class to your future career role.

Learn Data Visualization With Noble Desktop

If you’re interested in studying data visualization, Noble Desktop offers several in-person and live online courses that provide hands-on training. Noble’s Tableau for Data Visualization Bootcamp is an excellent option for those who wish to work with Tableau to visualize data. Participants receive an overview of the field of data visualization and learn about Tableau Public’s visualization tools. By course completion, students will have a solid understanding of identifying which datasets to connect to and how to analyze, filter, and organize data to make customized, publishable visualizations. This course also offers the option of a free retake for those interested in revisiting Tableau concepts. 

Transform your data analysis process using artificial intelligence (AI). AI for Data Analytics offers an in-depth exploration of AI tools that automate data collection, preprocessing, analysis, and visualization, empowering individuals to derive valuable insights with minimal coding knowledge. By the end of the course, students will have gained proficiency in deploying AI-powered analytics in diverse sectors like finance, marketing, and healthcare, and will have honed their ability to communicate findings effectively through advanced visualizations and reports.

Noble’s in-person or live online Data Analytics Certificate is another good learning option for those seeking a more intensive study option. This rigorous program provides expert instruction on various data analytics concepts and prepares learners to become Business Analysts or Data Analysts. By course completion, all participants will be familiar with core business intelligence, statistical analysis, data analysis, and data visualization concepts. This is a project-based course in which students will complete various real-world projects using prescriptive and predictive analytics. All students receive one-on-one mentoring as part of tuition.

In addition, other in-person and live online data visualization courses are also available from Noble Desktop. Those who wish to learn the tools to become Data Scientists may consider enrolling in Noble’s Data Science Certificate, which covers machine learning, automation, SQL, and Python. A Python for Data Science Bootcamp covers fundamental and complex Python programming concepts, such as creating programs and using statistics to make machine learning models. 

The Excel Bootcamp is also available, which teaches core spreadsheet functions like working with macros, formulas, and PivotTables. Finally, those interested in working with SQL to extract information from databases can enroll in Noble’s SQL Bootcamp. This course prepares learners to write queries, aggregate data, and filter results using PostgreSQL.